FS|FE-NEWS
December 22, 2020
|
|
Happy Holidays from the FS|FE Coalition |
|
The FS|FE Coalition set a goal of inviting all community members to contribute to and benefit from an equitable community-based food system. We started with few and we are now many - Our circle continues to widen. We are humbled by the numerous opportunities that we have had to work alongside each and everyone of you in learning how to better serve our community. Thank you!
|
|
Year in Review and Reflection!
Come join us as we pause to review our efforts and highlight our learnings during this past year! We welcome you to reflect with us and share what matters most to you.
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
2:00-3:00 pm
Call in Number: 1-669-900-9128 Meeting ID: 844 3128 3863
|
|
December 2020 Food Happenings |
|
Take Out Together: Thank you for including me! |
|
FS|FE Coalition Partners with
18 Restaurants & 18 Community Agencies/Groups
|
|
What one community group shared: Most people are just thankful to have a warm meal that they don’t have to prepare. Some people do not have extra money to treat their family to a restaurant prepared meal. The food vouchers especially helped boost moral during the Christmas season. -- Laurie
|
|
What one agency shared:
I’ve been humbled by the efforts of the Coalition and their act of kindness which served many in our community. Too often individuals don’t pause to appreciate all they have. I was recently reminded to take such a pause after seeing a family receive a meal they’d otherwise not have had without the Coalition's outreach. At Archuleta County Department of Human Services we are proud to have the Coalition as a partner and we’re happy to see that through our work together those in our community benefit. -- Matt
|
|
From Our Medical Partner: We were able to hand these out to patients at a time when they needed it most. The patients were thankful for the kindness and thoughtfulness during these stressful times. -- Dr. Dave
From Our Restaurant Partner: The Pagosa Springs community really pulled together to create a win out of a tough situation during the initial challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. As a community, we've come back to re-invigorate this effort with our "Take Out Together" program to energize the holiday season by sharing fresh, enticing meals from our local restaurants with many members of the Archuleta County community. -- Jason
|
|
This is a blessing after a hard day's work! Thank you for including me! |
|
Food Boxes Enroute to Families! |
|
Archuleta School District |
The Archuleta School District in collaboration with the Food Coalition offered food boxes on Thursday December 17, 2020 to families who had requested a food box. The food service department coordinated the effort with assistance from the transportation department. For those who requested a food box, they were given the option to either get their box at their school bus stop or to pick up at the high school on
Thursday, 12/17/20. More than 80 families received food boxes.
|
Photo courtesy of Todd Stevens |
|
Its 5:30 am and our youth are serving |
|
The ability and willingness to help other people brings forth one of the greatest feelings a person can experience. Serving the people of Archuleta County by aiding in the distribution process of food boxes to families procures that exact feeling. Every person with whom I was working alongside appeared to be happy to be there, despite it being 5:30 in the morning. When I first entered the middle school cafeteria, I was awestruck by the sheer mass of the food there. I knew that many people would be helped through this project. I am very grateful for this opportunity to serve my community, and look forward to doing so again in the future.
-- Nell (Coalition Youth Team)
|
|
Overall, it was pretty well organized and seeing all the food be loaded onto the buses made me feel like I was making an impact. I didn’t come up with the idea and I didn’t donate the food, but I helped load it. While I didn’t play a very big role, I’m grateful for the opportunity and happy for the families that received those boxes. It was early in the morning, but I woke up that morning knowing my help would get food out to families, which made it worth it.
-- Michelle (Coalition Youth Team)
|
|
|
Food Bags to Families in Early Childhood Programs |
|
Seventy families from Seeds of Learning, Wings Early Childhood Center, and Tri County Head Start in Pagosa Springs, received food bags to support them while the preschools are not in session. The FS|FE Coalition partnered with these three agencies, the Pagosa Senior Center, and the St. Patrick’s Food Pantry to serve the families of the youngest members of our community. One participating program shared: "Everything went so well yesterday! Lots of smiles, tears, joy and gratitude. Families were amazed by the size and amount of food received, as well as, the gift cards. They kept repeating, 'Thank You, Thank You So Much – This means so much to our family.' We are so thankful that you decided to partner with us and provide holiday meals for so many families in our community." To read more about each of these programs, click here.
|
|
First in Colorado:
Hear from the Community
|
|
As the owner of Pagosa Local News, I see our role as building community through stories that celebrate who we are and that connect people to local economy. Not only is the newly formed Food Coalition building community but the organization is modeling how local governments and other organizations can bring education, equity and growth into their planning. The Food Coalition truly understands growing and sustaining community through grassroots innovation. These are the stories that Pagosa Local News is looking to share and we found some amazing gems right here with the Food Coalition!
-- Gabrielle Dorr
|
|
Click on the image below to see the Pagosa Springs Local News Participatory Budgeting Story |
|
Update from One of the Participatory Budgeting Programs |
|
Rise Above Violence participated with 3 other agencies (Department of Human Services, Aspire, La Plata Family Centers Coalition) as part of the participatory budgeting project with the FS|FE Coalition. While all of our agencies actively collaborate to serve clients in our community, this was one of the first initiatives where we all were able to identify a unified financial need; and this one centered around food security. All of our programs are vastly different, yet we do serve an overlapping population of people from our community; and one thing we all noted that our clients needed was access to food resources that was not restricted as many of our typical funding sources do. The gift card project was a perfect way to meet the a basic need of food that we see in some of our clients across organizations. The gift cards provide a way for families to shop for what they need with respect and dignity. Each program has begun to distribute the gift cards, and I would say that it is humbling how grateful the people receiving them are. The $25, $50 or $100 gift cards are making an impact on our community by allowing those who receive the funds to not have to worry where the next meal is coming from.
|
|
The Food Coalition in Partnership with the Pagosa Senior Center is offering nutritious meals to those who are quarantined and/or COVID-positive and in need of food.
Please send an email to food@fsfearchuleta.com
|
|
The FS|FE Coalition collaborated with the Pagosa Senior Center to provide food boxes to the Meals on Wheels Program participants and seniors picking up meals at the drive-through at the Ross Aragon Community Center. Restaurant vouchers were also distributed to seniors through the Meals on Wheels Program and the subsidized housing communities. Additionally, the Coalition is providing funding and outreach support that enables Archuleta Senior Inc. to provide hot meals and supplemental nutrition to a broader reach among our community members. Our partner shared, "During the pandemic, our work together providing nutritious meals is more critical than ever to the success and integrity of our community as a whole. In partnership with the Coalition we are able to expand our efforts to others in need of food."
|
|
Our Partners Hard at Work to
Increase Access to Local FoodS
|
|
 |
The Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership (GGP) is planning a new venture to help our community. We are working to supply the FS|FE Coalition with vegetable CSA's this winter to support our community with fresh produce using intensive growing methods, short season vegetables raised by professional growers and volunteers. While the educational nonprofit was formed to teach and demonstrate year-round growing in three dome greenhouses, GGP recognizes the need in these difficult times to increase community food security through local production. Our collaboration with the FS|FE Coalition strengthens both our abilities to work toward a sustainable local food system.
|
|
|
|
The Pagosa Farmers Market with support from the FS|FE Coalition will be online by the end of the year and we are excited by its potential to increase the supply of locally produced food for our community. The Saturday morning live market is not attractive to all of our local growers and producers for a variety of different reason. This year unfortunatly, we added the Covid threat to that list and that was kind of the last straw, the straw that made us decide that online was the next logical step for the Market. I believe that the convenience of this venue will increase our vendor numbers. Clearly, we won't have fresh vegetables year-round; however, this venue will attract local producers of jams, jellies, preserved foods, meats, cheeses, bakery items, chocolate, etc. As the online Market proves itself financially to vendors, it will also attract new local people to food production. For information pagosafarmersmarket@gmail.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
